Up to 8 million adults living in the United States have a gambling habit serious enough to classify them as "problem gamblers," according to the Keeping the Score website of the University of Missouri's Wellness Resource Center. If you don't see a problem with your recreational wagering, consider the consequences you might face if your pastime becomes a gambling addiction.
Damaged Relationships
Relationship problems may stem from an interest in gambling that takes up your free time, leaves you preoccupied when you're with friends and family members or causes you to lie about your activities and spending habits. The Problem Gambling Services website of the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services notes that problem gambling consequences include family problems that may include financial hardship, children with self-esteem issues, resentment and domestic violence.
Financial Difficulties
Problem gamblers often face money problems because of continual betting to overcome losses or to catch a "big win" to impress friends and family members and to justify the gambling habit, according to the Help Guide website. Once the "extra" money is exhausted, a problem gambler may take control of the family finances. The object is to withdraw money to gamble, shuffle money between accounts and pay bills late in order to conceal losses. Gamblers also may sell possessions, borrow money from friends and co-workers, ask for payday advances, take out loans, attempt a criminal scheme or steal money from a spouse or children to fund the gambling habit.
Crime
MayoClinic.com reports that up to 90 percent of gamblers with an addiction commit felonies to support their habit or to pay off bills or loans that result from mounting loses. Most of these crimes are money related---forgery, tax evasion, theft and embezzlement, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Dependence
The Missouri Gaming Commission points out that problem gambling can become a compulsion that the gambler can't give up despite the fact that it's causing problems in her personal and professional life. A problem gambler may feel dependent on not only the rush of winning, but also the opportunity to gamble again to "break even" from recent losses. The dependence can cause a preoccupation that leads to neglect of friendships, work duties and family responsibilities.
Suicidal Thoughts
Approximately 80 percent of gambling addicts contemplate committing suicide, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most of these thoughts stem from the hopelessness that comes from family problems, a ruined career or mounting gambling debts. If you or a loved one have expressed thoughts of suicide because of a gambling addiction, the Help Guide website recommends asking a mental health professional or an organization such as Gamblers Anonymous for assistance to identify causes and develop a treatment for the compulsive gambling.
